1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a process cartridge.
Here, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium in an electrophotographic image forming method. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer, an LED printer and the like), a facsimile machine and a word processor.
In addition, a process cartridge (hereinafter, referred to as a cartridge) is a cartridge into which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process member acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally incorporated, and which is detachably mountable to an apparatus main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Here, the cartridge may be a cartridge into which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one process member such as charging means, developing means, and cleaning means are integrally incorporated. The apparatus main body is a part of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus from which the cartridge is removed.
The cartridge can be mounted and detached from the apparatus main body by a user in person. Therefore, the maintenance of the apparatus main body can be done easily.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, the construction of positioning a cartridge in an apparatus main body has been known. For example, a compression spring is disposed along a guide surface in the apparatus main body. This compression spring exerts a compression force on a dowel provided on the cartridge, about a fulcrum. When the cartridge receives a turning force from the apparatus main body, the turn of the cartridge is regulated by this construction (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-132069). Owing to this construction, at the time of forming an image, the cartridge can be positioned in the apparatus main body with high accuracy.
Furthermore, an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of cartridges are arranged in line, (called an in-line type) is known. In this image forming apparatus, there are provided cartridges each including an electrophotographic photosensitive member and developing means for an associated color of yellow, magenta, cyan and black; and images of respective colors are superimposed to form a full-color image. Some image forming apparatuses are adapted to support a plurality of cartridges by a moving member that can move with respect to the apparatus main body (US 2006/0067734). Owing to this construction, by inserting the moving member into the apparatus main body, the plurality of cartridges can be inserted into the apparatus main body concurrently.